


One Condition

by TsubaruKimimori



Category: Tokyo Babylon, X -エックス- | X/1999
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 16:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18369674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TsubaruKimimori/pseuds/TsubaruKimimori
Summary: After the events of Tokyo Babylon but before the promised day Subaru and Seishirou meet again. Once again about to let their "game" begin on one condition.





	One Condition

**Author's Note:**

> This is for SeiSub_Hanami_Exchange_2019! I usually struggle writing these two morons in TB/X universe so I hope everyone enjoys this~!

Subaru knew that he was most likely in a very dangerous situation. He also knew he was potentially insane. How many sane people would willing walk into their enemy’s apartment? Especially when said enemy had killed your twin sister a few years prior. However, Subaru had to admit he much rather this meeting then their foreordained meeting when the year 1999 hit.  Subaru wondered just why Seishirou had invited him here to begin with though. This apartment was somewhat different than the one from the year of the Bet. Although not by much, the only difference was there was no clinic underneath it and the silly gifts Hokuto had bought Seishirou (and had said were from her and Subaru) were missing as well.

As Subaru sat there, he wondered just why he had accepted this invitation and just what Seishirou had up his sleeve. Was he perhaps planning to finally settle the Bet they had started all those years ago? Using ‘they’ was an overstatement however, as Subaru had had no idea he was involved in any bet or game or whatever you wanted to call it. He also wondered just where Seishirou was. The note had said to arrive at exactly 3 o'clock and the wards would be disabled so Subaru could let himself into the apartment using the key that was hidden discreetly in an outside bush. As for the Sakurazukamori himself, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Just like Seishirou-san...late." Although this, Subaru realized, wasn't exactly true. Their only ‘date’ during the year of the Bet, it had been Subaru that was late to the date, not Seishirou. Subaru was absolutely horrible with directions and he was at the time quite the busy onmyouji; not that he still wasn't a busy onmyouji mind you. It was just after Hokuto's death, Subaru devoted all of his time into finding Seishirou so he could grant Subaru's wish. Which Subaru could at least admit had changed. It went from wanting Seishirou dead to wanting to be dead by Seishirou's hand. That was the only way Subaru felt like he would be remembered. The young man started to wonder if Seishirou was in fact out on a hunt right now and that's why his apartment was vacant. After all, this wasn't the days of the Bet when Seishirou’s absence usually meant he was at the clinic or out baking with Hokuto or even grocery shopping. Granted back then, he was still the Sakurazukamori (always had been) but Subaru's naive teenage brain failed to see what his sister had seen even when it came to realizing that yes, he was in love with Seishirou Sakurazuka. Had that changed? Despite the fact that the Seishirou Subaru had known was nothing more than a mask, a fake face? Subaru wasn't sure of that and as he fought with his feelings he was completely oblivious to the door opening somewhere behind him and the silent footfalls that followed soon after.

"Good afternoon Subaru-kun, I see you had no trouble following my instructions after all. Maybe you have changed. Why I remember when you needed your big sister to write out directions for you. It was always so adorable."

Subaru flushed beet red and nearly leapt off the chair he had occupied in surprise. "Seishirou-san! Didn't—" Subaru paused, he was about to snap about Seishirou's mother never teaching him manners and then he remembered…Seishirou had killed his mother when he was fifteen, so did she even have an influence on him?

Seishirou removed his sunglasses and Subaru was left staring into those eyes. One a cloud, milky white, Subaru still felt bad for this and wished somehow, some way, he could repay it, the other a golden amber. The amber eye didn't have the friendly glow that it had in the year of the Bet; no, even with Subaru being Subaru he could see the hunter's look in that eye. However as soon as Subaru's eyes locked onto Seishirou's mismatched eyes the predatory look was gone.

"It's been a long time Subaru-kun, and you're just as cute as ever. Although I must say, Hokuto-chan would roll over in her grave if she saw you dressed like that."

"Please don't mention Hokuto-chan." Subaru cursed his politeness. Here he was with Seishirou, the man he had been looking for for the past five years, and the man had the nerve to bring up Hokuto. Hokuto who had trusted him, Hokuto who had called him a friend, Hokuto who went to confront him and was murdered by him. All Subaru wanted now was a cigarette but his pack was empty and he refused to ask Seishirou for any. He didn't need to be ridiculed or treated like the child he no longer was. He decided to be blunt instead. "Seishirou-san, why did you ask me here today?"

"Oh you know, I thought about reminiscing about old times perhaps. Care to join me for dinner tonight?"

Subaru was absolutely baffled. Why on earth did this man invite him to the apartment if they were just going to go out for dinner? "Why did you invite me here Seishirou-san? If you wanted to go out for dinner? Couldn't you have invited me to the restaurant instead?"

"This is far safer. We're always being watched Subaru-kun. That is the life us onmyouji live."

Subaru wanted to laugh, he really did. Seishirou prided himself in his ability to hide and wasn't afraid to get rid of anyone that stood in his way. At least that's what Obaa-sama had said about the Sakurazukamori. Then again, she didn't know there was really only one Sakurazukamori. Although Subaru himself wasn't sure if Seishirou worked alone or not. He said he had clients, some of which were shared with the Sumeragi family. Though that alone didn't mean that he wasn't alone. The more Subaru sat there and thought, the more his and Seishirou's similarities rose to the surface. His grandmother was the twelfth head of the clan but now she was mostly retired leaving Subaru as the thirteenth head. Seishirou had forced his mother into early retirement so to speak and now he was the acting Sakurazukamori.  In that aspect they were alike, however, they were also very different.

Subaru for starters would never murder someone. It was out of his realm of expertise. Seishirou however had nothing holding him back from murdering someone in cold blood and yet…Subaru was still alive. Anyone that saw the Sakurazukamori at work was supposed to be dead and yet it was Hokuto that was no longer here, not Subaru, who had at the age of nine witnessed Seishirou working. Top that off with the fact that the Sumeragi clan and Sakurazukamori had been enemies for generations and Subaru really started to wonder just why he was still breathing. He would give anything to not be at this moment and he tried to think just when had that changed?

"I've noticed you've cut your hair Subaru-kun and why on earth are your eyes that dull blue color?" No other person that Seishirou had hunted had gorgeous emerald eyes like Subaru. Those emerald eyes that were filled with such hope, such innocence, all those years ago were what partially made Seishirou make the Bet to begin with. But now those emerald eyes were hidden behind fake colored contact lenses. 

"I wanted to avoid seeing Hokuto-chan every day when I saw my reflection in the mirror. Although you have no right to lecture me. You wore fake glasses for a year and pretended to be a vet."

"I didn't pretend to be a vet Subaru-kun, I was a vet. Could still very much be one if I so chose. I got bored with that so I moved onto my normal life. Living a double life is exhausting as you yourself know. You were a student and an onmyouji. Imagine being a vet, a normal member of society, and an assassin that is also an onmyouji."

"Assassin. More like murderer..." Subaru muttered under his breath. He wasn't so naive anymore, he knew the difference between assassination and murder. Surely Hokuto wasn't a hired kill? Subaru could even understand himself being a hired kill but not Hokuto. Hokuto who had barely any talents in the field of onmyoudo when compared to the current head of the Sumeragi clan; it seemed like an idiotic exchange and yet Seishirou had made the exchange. "Why?"

"Why what?" Seishirou had since lit a cigarette and was sitting in the same chair Subaru had occupied earlier.

Subaru mentally cursed he hadn't realized he had asked that out loud. There were numerous answers to it as well. Subaru went with the one that was inside his mind and his heart. "Why kill Hokuto-chan?"

Seishirou sighed before putting out his cigarette. "I was hoping to save that topic for 1999."

"Why wait until then? There's no guarantee either of us will make it to next year let alone the Promised Day. So tell me, why did you kill my sister? She trusted you, she saw you as a friend and she was my entire world. AND YOU! You heartless assassin of the sakura who made a bet with a child, a child who had absolutely no idea what he was getting into. You killed her when you knew she didn't stand a chance against you. You just see life as one great big game and people are just toys. When you get bored with how your life is going, you move on and when you get bored with people you get rid of them. Hokuto-chan may have been a Sumeragi, but she wasn't the leader of the Sumeragi clan I am. So tell me why is it that she no longer breathes but here I am, breathing and standing here in your apartment having this conversation?"

"I tried to kill you once remember? You precious grandmother intervened."

"And yet it's been five years since then and here I am. I was withdrawn after that day when you completely shattered me physically, mentally, and emotionally. You could've easily done it then. But you haven't and I want to know why!" Subaru cursed again. The tears were falling from his face and he didn't want to show emotion in front of Seishirou of all people. Ever since Hokuto's death he tried to be more like Seishirou and be void of any emotion not that it fully worked however.

Seishirou sat there in silence for a while. "I suppose the easiest answer to why you're here is because I don't want the game to be over yet. I don't want our game to be over until I'm ready for it to be over. Now I can ask you. Why did you bother coming here? Furthermore why did you not only come here but since my entering you haven't once attempted to attack me? I'm your enemy remember? And as you so kindly have reminded me several times today I am the one that murdered your dear twin sister."

Subaru had paused to remove his contacts from his eyes and in the mirror that was adjacent from where he stood he saw his puffy green eyes. The green reminded him of Hokuto and just for a moment Subaru thought he felt her presence. Maybe it was that that gave Subaru the push he had been on the verge of taking or maybe he was just tired of Seishirou being the one to set the rules, or maybe it had a little something to do with that glass of wine he had on the job before coming here. Whatever the reason Subaru found himself doing what he wanted to do five years ago.

He cleared the distance between them in a few steps and almost instantly Seishirou was on his feet as if ready for a battle. "Not in my apartment, it is rather expensive you know."

Subaru didn't answer and just gently hugged the older man. "You asked me why I'm here and now I'm answering you. Seishirou-san...I love you."

Seishirou's eyes widened in surprise as he awkwardly returned the hug he had received. How after all this time could Subaru say those words? Especially after Hokuto; even though Hokuto herself had requested death by his hand in exchange for something even Subaru did not know of yet. Finally sighing in a partial defeat for now because Subaru had won this game he placed his lips against Subaru's forehead. "Does this mean you'll be joining me for dinner now?"

"Maybe, you still haven’t answered about Hokuto-chan yet."

"Let's just say that your sister had a few tricks up her sleeve and leave it at that."

Subaru frowned, if only slightly. He knew this was the most he was going to get from Seishirou; at least for today. Maybe they could try to make themselves work before the Promised Day hit. "I'll leave it at that on one condition."

A mild spark of amusement danced in Seishirou's eyes and a smirk started to form on his lips. "And what might that be?"

"We try to make this, _us_ , work."

"And who says there's an ‘us’ Subaru-kun?"

"I'm not dead am I? That has to count for something, doesn't it?"

Maybe Subaru was right. That's what was going through Seishirou's mind as he bent down and kissed the younger male who of course flushed a bright shade of red. "So are we playing a new game then? I thought we played this before; you couldn't make me love you then, so what makes you think you can now?"

"Because it's not about what you don't feel for me, it's what you don't feel for anyone else except me."

As they headed down to the streets to go for dinner, Seishirou glanced in the direction of Ueno Park. _Well Subaru-kun just maybe I...you_.


End file.
